Homily on Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. (Luke 23:42) The Holy Church treats us like mothers treat children when teaching them to speak. To do this, they make children repeat after them the names of people and things which are most necessary for conversation. The Church does the same. In as much as [...]

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Apologies

It looks like at least some of my translations are going to be put on hold for an indeterminate time as my translation checker, that is, my wife, has given birth to our first born son. As he was born on the day of St. Symeon the New Theologian, that is, March 12/25, I offer [...]

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Homily before Confession – Friday the Second Week of Lent

It is good to give praise*[confess] unto the Lord (Psalms 91:2 LXX in Holy Transfiguration Monastery translation) *Translator’s note: The Slavonic text reads “confess.” Other examples of use of the same verb in the Slavonic are Ps. 96:12, 6:6, 29:10, 117:1, 78:13, and 75:11. The Slavonic verb can mean both to praise and to confess. [...]

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Homily on Cheese-fare Sunday

I have started a new translation project appropriate to lent, that is, homilies of St. Innocent (Borisov), Archbishop of Kherson, for every day of the fast. I will say right now that I will not be translating one a day, but, maybe, if I’m lucky, one or two a week. As St. Innocent is, from [...]

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Elder Anthony of Optina on Blessing “Unions” and Other Such Abominations

We are given the power to absolve sins, but not to absolve one to sin.

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Letters to Spiritual Children, Part XII

… Concerning the spiritual life, I don’t think I need to write to you. The most important thing demanded of you is to try with all your strength to preserve peace with your household and if you get upset then ask forgiveness and grant forgiveness as soon as possible. The enemy will try to take [...]

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Letters to Spiritual Children, Part XI

Think more often about death and who will meet you there. Bright angels may meet you or dark, evil demons may surround you. From one look at them you could lose your mind. In this our salvation consists: to be saved, that is, to not fall into the hands of the demons but to be [...]

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Letters to Spiritual Children, Part VIII

The Lord wants the salvation of every man but not every person wants salvation in deed. According to their words everyone wants salvation but in their deeds they reject salvation. How do they reject it? Not by sins, for there were great sinners such as thieves, as Mary of Egypt and others. They repented of [...]

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Letters to Spiritual Children, Part V

Another letter with words of wisdom from Igumen Nikon (Vorobyov). The closer someone is, in reality and not in one’s fantasy, to God, the more they feel unworthy, sinful and more sinful than all people. This is how the Holy Fathers felt; there are many examples of which you know. The publican felt sinful for [...]

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Letters to Spiritual Children, part IV

Another translation I have made from the letters of Igumen Nikon (Vorobyov). The soul can’t but be in pain until it feels that it has received forgiveness for the multitude of sins committed. As for repentance, we are only able to repent poorly. If someone is repenting of their sins while at the same time [...]

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Letters to Spiritual Children, Part III

Another letter from Igumen Nikon (Vorobyov) to a spiritual daughter; written in 1952. Revealing itself to me more and more is the deep fallenness of humanity and, in turn, the meaning of our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ. Deeds can in no way save any soul; there is only one salvation: Christ, who saves those [...]

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Sin gradually ceases to be

Whoever restrains sinful thoughts, does not think of his own sins or the sins of others neither of anything corruptible nor of anything earthly. The mind of such a man is continually in heaven where there is no evil. Thus, in him, sin gradually ceases to be, even in his thoughts. St. Nikolaj (Velimirovic)

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The blind soul

St. John Chrysostom says that sin leaves such a mark that not can not be cleansed by even a thousand springs but only tears of repentance. And the Lord waits for a person to hate their sin, for an aversion to sin to appear in the soul, and for a constant feeling of repentance and [...]

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The spreading of liberty

St. Nikolaj (Velimirovic) comments on the modern American dream of spreading democracy and “liberty,” “freedom,” etc. (choose whatever pop phrase you like): “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants (slaves) of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage” (2 Peter 2:19). …they promise [...]

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The darkness of the flesh

Flesh contains absolutely nothing evil when it is directed in accordance with its nature. But when directed against its nature and made to serve sin, it is called, and indeed becomes darkness. Blessed Theophylact

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The blindness of man

…instinct of irrational creation is more valuable than the mind of man when darkened by sin. Of all the things which are in existence, nothing is more blind than the mind of man when darkened by sin. Not only does he not see what was created to be seen, rather, he sees that which is [...]

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The tempest

…the Lord also calls me to walk over the passionate dampness and tempest and how I set out but sink because of my little faith.
St. Nikolaj (Velimirovic) Tags: St. Nikolaj (Velimirovic), passions, faith Powered by Qumana

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The devil’s ill-logic

It is as if, at a session of a course of justice, the devil should be addressed as follows: ‘Granted that you destroyed all because you found them guilty of sin; but why did you destroy Christ? Is it not very evident that you did so unjustly? Well then, through Him the whole world will [...]

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On Vice

Each of us, let us acknowledge it, is the first author of his own vice. St. Basil the Great

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Fulfilling the commandment

Adam did not want to go from strength to strength, from grace to grace in communion with God, but wanted to have this strength within himself. And he went away, went away into the byways of human life, and therefore lost the Tree of Life. But God the Merciful One, God the Father gives us [...]

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